Surgical pathology level 6 gross & microscopic examination at French Hospital

1911 Johnson Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1881760452

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Feb 28, 2026 · Ingested Sep 10, 2026

$121.68

Cash price

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Discounted cash price

What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge.

Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$310.39

Gross charge

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Gross charge (chargemaster price)

The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this.

Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$83.81 with MHS HSPCC vs $1,037.95 with United — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
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Negotiated rate

The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.

Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.

Full explanation →

Payer
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Payer

The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on.

Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509.

Full explanation →
Plan
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Plan

The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates.

Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible.

Full explanation →
Negotiated rate vs. cash
MHS HSPCC Commercial|All Plans $83.81 ↓ -31%
Western Growers Commercial|All Plans $155.20 ↑ +28%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $173.82 ↑ +43%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $192.45 ↑ +58%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $263.84 ↑ +117%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $263.84 ↑ +117%
CenCal Medicaid|> 21 $266.04 ↑ +119%
Molina Medicaid|> 21 $266.04 ↑ +119%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $266.04 ↑ +119%
CenCal Medicaid|< 21 $266.04 ↑ +119%
Molina Medicaid|< 21 $266.04 ↑ +119%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|> 21 $266.04 ↑ +119%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|< 21 $266.04 ↑ +119%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Non-MCS $291.77 ↑ +140%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $297.98 ↑ +145%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $304.19 ↑ +150%
Humana Commercial|All Plans $310.39 ↑ +155%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $310.39 ↑ +155%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $310.39 ↑ +155%
Aetna Commercial|Gatekeeper $310.39 ↑ +155%
Aetna Commercial|Non-Gatekeeper $310.39 ↑ +155%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $310.39 ↑ +155%
United Commercial|HMO $310.39 ↑ +155%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $310.39 ↑ +155%
Health Net Medicare|All Plans $310.39 ↑ +155%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $310.39 ↑ +155%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Plans $310.39 ↑ +155%
Alignment Medicare|All Plans $310.39 ↑ +155%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|All Plans $310.39 ↑ +155%
Health Net Medicaid|> 21 $327.23 ↑ +169%
Health Net Medicaid|< 21 $327.23 ↑ +169%
MHS Hospice Commercial|All Plans $733.93 ↑ +503%
Cigna Commercial|PPO $899.38 ↑ +639%
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $899.38 ↑ +639%
United Medicare|All Plans $1,037.95 ↑ +753%

Visitor-reported prices

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Surgical pathology level 6 gross & microscopic examination at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $391.58 $241.38 – $1,788.00
Petaluma Valley Hospital Petaluma $1,276.02 $223.35 – $1,256.40
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $132.85 $155.20 – $765.05
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas $606.73 $79.03 – $299.38
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $306.08 $204.27 – $853.25
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield $302.78 $204.27 – $853.25
Queen of The Valley Medical Center Napa $1,407.60 $282.25 – $1,256.40
Providence St Joseph Hospital Eureka Eureka $797.64 $320.08 – $1,256.40

All California hospitals for this procedure →